Tuesday, April 26, 2016

School Board Changes Post-Election Agenda

Hasty agenda changes, a last-minute "walk-on" item and fears for Plainfield's future sports prowess marked the final meeting for the losing slate in the April 19 school board election.

Outgoing Board President Wilma Campbell was absent due to a family medical emergency. Board Secretary Craig Smith read resolutions honoring Campbell, Frederick Moore Sr. and Deborah Clarke for their service. Moore and Clarke also received plaques and gifts Tuesday.

Schools Superintendent Anna Belin-Pyles said the agenda, which was posted Sunday, had been changed to include only routine business.

"Our goal is to be transparent," she said, announcing that all Human Resource and Finance items were being pulled. They will be taken up and voted on by the board after it reorganizes with new members Carmencita Pile, Dorien Hurtt and Lynn Anderson on May 3.

In privilege of the floor, Terri Slaughter-Cabbell referred to state law on school board reorganizations and told members, "Technically, you have no business being here."

She said the new members should have been sworn in Tuesday.

David Graves challenged board attorney Lisa Fittipaldi on the issue, but she replied that the reorganization could take place in the first or second week following the election.

Graves also asked what the process was for getting the board meetings on public television. Belin-Pyles said the district is in the process and will have a cable station up by June 30 to air board meetings and district events.

Inez Durham raised questions about charter schools, saying many had opened over the last 12 years, though some had closed. She said there are currently five, with two more expected in the next school year. Saying the superintendent must forward a recommendation to the state Commissioner of Education by March 20 for charter schools opening in the fall, she first asked Smith how she could get records of recommendations over the past 12 years. Smith said he had only been with the district for a few months and suggested filing an OPRA request for the information.

Belin-Pyles said she "absolutely" had submitted letters to the state commissioner in opposition to new charter schools.

Durham had wanted to ask the board president about her stance on charter schools, but Moore as vice president said he had only been on the board three years and referred Durham to Campbell, who was absent.

Several speakers raised questions about a lack of preparation of athletes at the middle school level, which they said ends up harming the proficiency of high school teams and thus endangering the district's legacy of outstanding athletes. Bernal Harrison, Darren Salter and others described their volunteer work with young athletes and challenged the board to take action.

There was a "walk-on" item that only board members saw until Slaughter-Cabbell and others demanded that copies be given to the public. Business Administrator Gary Ottmann got copies made and the item turned out to be a trip for eight boys and eight girls to attend the 2016 Penn Relays along with four chaperones at a cost of $5,051.25. The dates were April 27 through April 30.
In case you are a sports illiterate like me, here is  the online description:

    Image result for what are the penn relays
    The Penn Relays (also Penn Relays Carnival) is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Actually, even I have heard of this event. Not sure why the approval had to be so last-minute.

While awaiting the copies, Moore invited mayor Adrian O. Mapp to speak. Mapp and many members of the Democratic City Committee were present, perhaps in support of the winning school board slate. Mapp spoke briefly about hopes to form a partnership between Plainfield's two biggest entities, which are the district and city government.

The meeting was adjourned soon after the board approved the walk-on item.

Pile, Hurtt and Anderson will be sworn in on May 3 and new officers will be chosen by the board.

--Bernice

12 comments:

  1. The walk on item is another incident of the incompetence of the current Athletic Supervisor / Advisor.

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    1. It is the Superintendent's job to bring these things up in a timely manner. We don't know that the Athletic Supervisor was negligent in this case, or even the Super.

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  2. Wilma a no show, not surprise. She most likely was sick that all her last minute appointments she had on the agenda last night was pulled. Last night meeting prove that Wilma was truly in control over the board. Moore, the VP (acting President last night) was totally clueless and had absolutely no control over that meeting and didn’t appear to know what he was doing. After being on the board for three years Moore should have known how to run a meeting but, he didn’t. At some point when it was apparent Moore was in way over his head, it was the responsibility of the Superintendent to take charge of the meeting but she didn’t. Then the secretary calling the Mayor to the mike to speak was totally out of procedure (was he ass-kissing) It’s a shame that not one person on the board last night had the intelligence or knowledge of meeting procedures to take control of that meeting. I am so looking forward to new leadership on the board.

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  3. Was her husband there?

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    1. Yes Mr Campbell was in attendance last night despite the family medical emergency.

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  4. Every year the Rotary Club of Plainfield and North Plainfield sponsors a track meet in June for middle school students in the area. Every year Plainfield students are invited to attend, but almost always there is no response. I don't understand why it is necessary to spend $5,000+ to send students to a track meet in Pennsylvania when there is one available right here in Plainfield at Hub Stine Field. Why are Plainfield middle schoolers not participating in it?

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    1. Slightly different event and nothing wrong with having kids take some trips and see life outside Plainfield.

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    2. Vicky, you're talking apples and oranges here. The Penn Relays are for serious varsity track athletes. Who not only compete against other schools, but have a chance to get themselves exposed to college coaches and meet world class athletes. As someone who has run in both the Rotary Track meet and the Penn Relays, I can tell you these are two vastly different experiences.

      Kevin Turner

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    3. I agree with you Kevin. But I respectfully have to say that in any town that I have lived in, the parents foot the bill. I would not have had children if I could not have afforded to expose them to places outside of Plainfield.

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    4. I'm not sure how respectful your comment was as it seems to be a smack at the parents but the Penn Relays is a premier track meet that Plainfield students have been going to forever. The students are going as a team of PHS not as individuals. Kevin could probably tell you how many of those students came thru his private non profit track program Tsunami. In that program, parents probably have to pay plenty for them to travel to other track meets just to build up their skills to then go on to compete and represent Plainfield at PHS. My question is since this has been the norm for so long, why was it a last minute thought as a walk on?

      Nancy Jordan
      Nancy Jordan

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    5. To Anonymous 7:42...This is a varsity sports event. Please tell me what public school district requires the parents to foot the bill for its athletes to travel to a varsity sports event. Travel to and from varsity events is provided by the school, who also assumes the responsibility for the safe travel of said athletes to and from the event. If you have participated in varsity athletics I'm really having trouble understanding your comment. In regards to this event in particular I suggest you attend this event sometime so that you can appreciate the magnitude of the event and the great atmosphere that our kids are exposed to. I was told just today by two parents whom I just happen to give my extra tickets to that it has been a life altering experience for their child athletically...btw she is already a straight A student.

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  5. It was nice to see a large crowd, by Plainfield standards, and a BOE that realizes it can't be business as usual. It was also a nice short meeting.

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